The Prince of Wales took a swipe today at the publication of the Danish cartoons which sparked a wave of violent protests in the Islamic world for their satirical treatment of the Prophet Muhammad.

On a visit to Egypt, the Prince, who is touring the Middle East with the Duchess of Cornwall, expressed concerns over the "failure to listen and to respect what is precious and sacred to others".

The heir to the throne addressed more than 800 Islamic scholars at Cairo's al-Azhar University, the world's oldest university, and called for greater tolerance between different religions - especially the three great "Abrahamic faiths": Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

"The roots of the faith that we share in the One God, the God of Abraham, give us enduring values," he said. "We need the courage to speak of them and affirm them again and again to a world troubled by dissension."

The Duchess, who had earlier removed her shoes and donned a veil to tour the elaborate al-Azahr mosque, watched from the audience as the Prince delivered his serious, impassioned 30-minute speech which he had titled "Unity in Faith".

The Prince said: "The recent ghastly strife and anger over the Danish cartoons shows the danger that comes of our failure to listen and to respect what is precious and sacred to others. In my view, the true mark of a civilised society is the respect it pays to minorities and to strangers."

The Prince spoke about divided communities in Iraq, and said his fears from more than a decade ago of growing misunderstanding between Islam and the West had come true.

"For so many, those years have been profoundly bleak," he said. "My heart is heavy from witnessing the never-ending death and destruction."

He added: "Images of communities torn apart by religious conflict are deeply harrowing from Bosnia to Baghdad, from Chechnya to Palestine - evidence of just how far misunderstandings have continued and escalated."

The Prince called on religious leaders to play their part in encouraging tolerance. "We must foster, encourage and act upon that which embodies the divine attributes of mercy and compassion," he said.

"That calls for calmness and the exercise of restraint. And, if I may say so, it requires all those who are in positions of authority in our different faiths to preach clearly and consistently to others the eternal values of these divine attributes."

The Prince added: "I look forward to a world in which we share a vision that acknowledges our differences with respect and understanding, that recognises what others hold sacred, and to a world in which we see that we cannot and must not abuse our great traditions and their teachings as a weapon in the service of selfish worldly power."

He warned that people must not let slip the opportunity to work together. The Prince was also presented with an honorary degree which prompted a swell of applause from the auditorium. The decision to present him with the accolade was criticised by one lecturer, who said he did not believe the Prince merited it.

The Al-Azhar mosque had urged caution in response to the Danish cartoons at the time of the troubles, but organised protests and rallied people to demonstrate against the publications.

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